Led by delegation leader Lieven Kind, a total of six top athletes will participate in the 4-year Deaflympics, which will take place in Tokyo from 15 to 26 November 2025.
These athletes are very proud to represent Belgium at the very highest level in the Deaf sports world, the Deaflympics :
These athletes are very proud to represent Belgium at the very highest level in the Deaf sports world, the Deaflympics :
- Christophe Bartholomé from Noduwez (bowling)
- Michel Rivez from St-Agatha-Berchem (bowling)
- Emiel Schippers from Ophoven (tennis)
- Leendert Desmet from Torhout (swimming)
- Kevin De Saedeleer from Aalst (judo)
- Renaud Malache from Tourinnnes-St-Lambert (judo)
All the athletes are in full training and preparation, but unfortunately they have other headaches.... despite their impressive performances, it is still uncertain whether they can effectively travel to Tokyo. How so!
The Belgian government and the BOIC (Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee) do not provide enough support for athletes within the deaf community. As a result, they have to finance almost everything themselves.
For these six top athletes, participating in the Deaflympics means so much more than sport. They are all particularly proud to represent the deaf community in Belgium - a group that is often forgotten and gets less attention in the sports world. They want to prove that deafness does not have to be a limitation to dream and perform big.
It is a great honour for each of them personally to give the Belgian deaf community a voice on an international stage.
For which expenses are we looking for your support?
- Travel and accommodation costs for the athletes and their coaches
- Participation in the Deaflympics
- Training and preparation costs
In total, this amounts to about €50,000 - an amount that is unreachable for all of them without your help.
Would you like to help us too?
Then join our support actions for the benefit of our top athletes!
The BDC has therefore started a separate support action for each sport, you will find the links to these actions below.
Double-click these link(s) and get involved!
